


Last Day of Summer

by xoxoMouse



Series: PJO Personal Canon (Solangelo Centric) [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Bonfire, Canon Divergence, Doctor's Note, Dorks, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, M/M, PJO, Past Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Pre-Relationship, Short & Sweet, Slice of Life, They would start dating shortly after this I think, What I assume happened after the War with Gaea but before toa, chb, friends to lovers?, i love them, percy jackson - Freeform, solangelo, they're just friends here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22945414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoxoMouse/pseuds/xoxoMouse
Summary: After the war with Gaea, camp has to end sometime- which means the end-of-summer bead ceremony! This is the first year Nico has stayed at camp long enough to actually receive his bead but Will has something else to give him.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: PJO Personal Canon (Solangelo Centric) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884076
Comments: 7
Kudos: 115





	Last Day of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so the claw gesture the campers do for warding off evil is really unspecific and I couldn't find anything of Rick saying exactly how it looked or doing it himself so I googled it and found this statue and this is officially what it is for all my writing. Here have a visual: https://www.google.com/search?q=percy+jackson+claw+gesture&sxsrf=ACYBGNS-5TwLxBTrrdGEojSzQb8pfqLNaQ:1582931243726&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWvvGzrvXnAhVtU98KHdbIDsYQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1366&bih=650#imgrc=lwJjSQsf_vIApM

Even though Summer was _supposed_ to be winding down, it was still unbearably hot and sticky—and the giant fire pit wasn’t helping anything. Nico had more feelings swirling around in him than he could place. He was excited because this was his first bead ceremony. He was sad because Percy and Annabeth would be leaving tomorrow. He was scared because he’d have to stay here alone until next summer, every year until he was an adult, really, and then what? He was happy because he finally had a home—he was confused because when he pictured home, he didn’t see himself sitting alone at an empty table for every meal, surrounded by people he was too far away from to talk to.

The fries from his plate sizzled when they hit the flame, turning into a delicious smelling smoke that filled the air for a moment before the kid behind him made their offering and the scent changed from salty to something that was definitely apple flavored. He bit the inside of his cheek and trudged back to the Hades table.

He’d barely gotten a fry from the colossal heap in front of him to his mouth before there was a tap on his shoulder that made him jump.

Will solace stood directly behind him, green flannel tied around his waist and the sleeves of his camp shirt rolled up to his shoulders. His hair was frizzing up like crazy.

“Absolutely not,” Will said. “I’m sick of seeing you sit alone with a plate of fries every night—you’re going to die of loneliness if heart disease doesn’t get you first.”

“And what exactly do you want me to do about that?”

Will rolled his eyes. “Come sit with me.”

Nico blinked. “I don’t think that’s allowed.”

Will sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Right. I forgot you follow the rules—you’re the only one who’s watched the orientation film since the ’80s.”

Nico was glad the cast from the fire hid his heated face. “Whatever—I don’t want to get yelled at.” He turned back to his fries and ignored whatever Will was doing to make that scratching noise.

Will knocked him on the shoulder. “Okay.” He clicked the pen and slid it into his mass of curls. “Come on.”

Nico took the slip when Will’s fingers pushed it into his. It took a minute to make out though Will’s scrawl and the letters messing him up, but he managed.

Doctor’s Note

Nico di Angelo will be sitting at

Table 7 to avoid any more

Zombie incidents

\- W. Solace

“I don’t summon zombies on accident anymore.”

Will had a sly grin. “No one else has to know that.”

Nico accepted he wouldn’t win this one. The other Apollo kids didn’t bat an eye when he sat next to Will, just another face at merry table 7.

He did look different, though. A couple months of sun and his skin was starting to look less translucent, he realized if he let his hair grow it’d start to weigh down the parts that permanently stood up. Even with his new tan (nothing compared to Will’s) he still didn’t fit in. Apollo’s kids were by no means carbon copies of him, but you could tell they were family. Some of them shared the curly hair, some of them had the broad shoulders, the nimble fingers, some of them looked like they could almost belong to another godly parent—and then they’d speak and it’d be with perfect rhythm and meter, all coming from a sure and confident mouth. Nothing like him. Nothing like what he’d inherited from Hades. He wanted to think about something else.

“Macaroni?”

Will looked up with his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk. “Hmm?”

Nico stifled a laugh. “So it’s good then?”

Will nodded, swallowing everything in his mouth in one go. “The best. My mom used to make it all the time.”

“Used to?”

Will looked away. “Yeah…”

Oh. _Used to._ Nico knew about that. “Will you get to see her this year when you go home?”

“I’m a year-rounder.” He bumped his shoulder against Nico’s and the lighter tone returned to his voice. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, di Angelo. Someone’s gotta make sure you’d don’t disappear into the night.”

There was a clambering and suddenly Percy Jackson was standing on top of Table 3. “Alright campers, listen up!” He bellowed. “Tomorrow marks the end of the Summer session. Some of you will be staying some of you will be braving the mortal world for another nine months—in that case, we wish you the best of luck and hope to see you next summer.” Percy made the camp's symbol for warding off evil: the pinky and ring finger of the right hand curled into the palm leaving the thumb, pointer and middle finger extended like the three talons on a bird's foot. He pushed away from his chest and the rest of the campers copied, even Nico following in suit.

Annabeth stepped up into the table next to him with a Tupperware bowl.

“And as per tradition on the last night of camp, it’s time to pass out this year’s bead. I am happy to announce the vote on the design was unanimous.” She plucked a bead from the bowl and held it up. It was hard to make out, but it was deep black with a stark metallic gold design in the center.

“The Athena Parthenos was returned to us this year by a brave Satyr, a praetor of New Rome and a valiant son of Hades. Without them, the camp likely wouldn't have survived another Summer. This bead celebrates their, and our, triumph!”

The rest of camp erupted into clapping and cheers as they lined up to receive this year's bead, but Nico’s body was stone, his mouth agape.

The bead. Right. He’d never gotten a bead before…He was a counselor, technically, shouldn’t he have voted on it?

When the line grew short enough, he finally joined it. When he made it to Annabeth, the last one to receive his bead, she held it out with a length of leather cord. She beamed at him, her blonde hair glowing in the firelight.

“Welcome to camp, Nico. We’re so happy to have you back.”

And not for the first time that day he was blinking back tears. When he got back to table 7 Will was rolling his new bead between his fingers. He saw the cord in Nico’s hand he grinned.

“Can I help you tie it?” he asked.

He nodded, surprised. Will carefully slipped Nico’s bead, identical to his own, onto the string and tied it. He gave it a tug and stood to loop it over Nico’s head.

“Congrats on the bead, by the way. You deserve it.”

His skin was burning from where Will’s fingers brushed his neck.

“Why wasn’t I allowed to vote on it this year?”

Will winked. “It was a surprise. Don’t worry, you’ll be in on it next year. Do you like it, though?”

Nico met his eyes just for a moment before his eyes darted back to his new bead. “Yeah. I think I love it, actually.”

***

Nico was still examining his bead way after it was supposed to be lights out. He nearly jumped out of his skin when there was a knock at the door.

“Hello?”

“Let me in,” Will’s voice hissed. “There are harpies out here!”

Nico shot to his feet and when he opened the door Will all but ran into him. He looked scared out of his wits.

Nico shook his head. “I don’t think the harpies are really allowed to eat us, Will.”

Will looked at him like he just said he fought sphinxes for fun. “I don’t think Chiron can exactly _stop_ them.”

Nico eyed the open door and then slammed it. “Good point. What’re you doing here?”

“Wow, Neeks, warm welcome. I actually have a present for you but hey, I only braved the harpies to be here. No biggie, I’ll just scamper back to my cabin—“

“Okay, I get it.” He sat on top of his covers and patted the spot next to him. “What did you bring?”

Will climbed up next to him and reached into his pocket, a goofy grin spreading across his face. “Close your eyes.”

Nico did.

“Now hold out your hands.”

His stomach twisted when Will’s fingers brushed the palms of his hands. When the warm touch was gone there was something cool and smooth left behind. “Open.”

There was a bead. The Empire State Building against a black background and the names of everyone who didn’t make it home after the Battle of Manhattan.

“Will…I can’t take this. I don’t deserve it.” _I split the ground and didn’t finish camp. I followed Minos and caused the battle of the labrynth, I—_

“You do,” he insisted. “I was there, Nico. We couldn’t have survived the first war without you. When you showed up with reinforcements we could all breathe again. You gave us _hope._ ”

Will’s face was more serious than he had ever seen it. “You should have gotten this years ago, Nico. You earned it.”

Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. “Where did you even get one of these? Isn’t there an exact amount made every year?”

One of Will’s dimples reappeared. “We do. This was yours—I uh. Don’t tell Chiron but I was snooping around in the Big House and I found it. It was in a little bag with your name on it and everything.”

“That’s…weird and specific.”

Will shrugged. “Not really—it was in a horseshoe box full of them. They go back years… I think Chiron keeps them to remember kids who never made it, y’know? And I don’t think that’s the only one of the boxes he has… But you’re still here.”

He couldn’t even stop himself. One second he was staring at the memorial in his hand and the next his arms were squeezing tightly around Will’s torso, pulling him close.

_“Thank you.”_

Will didn’t shrink back or pull away, he just held him tighter. “Of course.”

The knock at the door startled them enough that Will’s shoulder jabbed Nico’s jaw. He was rubbing the sting out of it when Chiron spoke.

“Mr. di Angelo, Mr. Solace, I know the two of you are awake.”

Nico was on his feet in an instant to open the door. Will was by his side, trying to duck out under Chiron’s legs. “I’ll just be going—“

“Nowhere,” Chiron said, catching him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him back like a kitten by the scruff of its neck.

“Have a seat; this will just take a moment.” He deposited Will on one of the unused bunks and Nico climbed up next to him, even though Chiron hadn’t told him to.

“Nico, I came to say congratulations on your first bead. I am happy to hear you’ve decided to spend the years to come with us.”

“Thank you, Chiron. I’m glad to be here.”

“I actually came by to give you something.” He eyed Nico’s closed fist and Will’s guilty expression. “But I think it’s found its way into your possession nonetheless.”

Will laughed nervously. “I really _should_ be going, Chiron,” he said with a big fake yawn. “It’s way past my bedtime.”

“Mr. Solace, if you’d like to take your chances with the harpies, by all means, don’t let me stop you.”

That glued Will to his seat.

“If you’d oblige, Nico, it’d be an honor to string your new bead myself.”

Nico nodded. He stood and reluctantly pulled off his new necklace and handed it along with the memorial bead to the centaur.

“Wait,” he said as Chiron began to string it on so it’d be before the Athena Parthenos bead. “Could you…Will you please put it after? I just…It’s supposed to be that way,” he said, but he couldn’t explain it further than that. Chiron nodded. He looped the string back around Nico’s head and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Welcome home, Nico.”

He didn’t have any words and Chiron didn’t press for them. “See you for breakfast in the morning. I hope we haven’t kept you up too late.” He turned for the door.

“Come along, Mr. Solace. The harpies don’t tend to actually _eat_ the campers, but I, personally, wouldn’t want to risk it.”

Will hopped to his feet, laughing nervously. “Right, gotcha. Night, Nico!” he called, following Chiron out of the cabin and waving before he closed the door behind him. He could have sworn he saw Chiron’s tail flick Will in the back of the head.

Nico turned the lights out and climbed back into bed. When he woke up the next morning, the beads in his necklace were clutched in his hand. He just laid there for awhile. It felt nice. It felt like home, and maybe he didn’t want to let go of it just yet.


End file.
